Nashville Hot Chicken & Waffle Taco

Name: Nashville Hot Chicken & Waffle Taco
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 Chicken thighs, boneless; 1 cup Buttermilk; 1.5 cup Flour; 2 tbsp Cayenne; 1 tbsp Brown sugar; 2 cups Waffle batter; 0.5 cup Bread & butter pickles; 3 tbsp Maple syrup

A fresh Belgian waffle folded around cayenne-lacquered fried chicken, pickles, and a drizzle of maple. Sweet, hot, and criminally good.

Developed and tested by The Neon Griddle test kitchenPublished August 1, 2026Last reviewed August 10, 2026Corrections

Prep: 30m
Cook: 25m
Serves: 4
Level: Hard

Ingredients

4servings

Chicken thighs, boneless4
Buttermilk1 cup
Flour1 ½ cup
Cayenne2 tbsp
Brown sugar1 tbsp
Waffle batter2 cups
Bread & butter pickles½ cup
Maple syrup3 tbsp

Instructions

1
Brine
Marinate chicken in buttermilk overnight, or 2 hours minimum.
2
Dredge & fry
Dredge in seasoned flour. Fry at 350°F until 165°F internal, ~7 min.
3
Hot oil paste
Whisk cayenne, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup frying oil. Brush over hot chicken.
4
Waffle & wrap
Cook a fresh waffle, fold soft, tuck in chicken and pickles, drizzle maple.

Cook it safe

165°F / 74°C — All poultry, including ground chicken and turkey.

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking — within 1 hour if the room is above 90°F / 32°C.
Reheat leftovers to 165°F / 74°C before serving.
Use a calibrated instant-read thermometer rather than color or cooking time to judge doneness.

Temperatures follow the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service safe minimum internal temperature chart.

Nutrition

Per serving · estimated

Calories: 798
Fat: 25g
Carbs: 102g
Protein: 37g

Nutrition is estimated from the listed ingredients using standard reference values (USDA FoodData Central). 6 of 8 matched ingredients use verified FoodData Central entries (dictionary snapshot 2026-09-11). Brand, portion, and preparation differences can change the result. Frying fat is counted at the share typically absorbed, and brines drained before cooking are excluded. These figures are an estimate for general interest, not medical or dietary advice.

Equipment

Waffle iron

Even plate contact on both sides is what sets the exterior before the inside overcooks.

Also useful here

Instant-read meat thermometer — This recipe has a target internal temperature, and color is not a reliable way to read it.
Deep-fry / candy thermometer — Frying and sugar work both depend on holding a narrow temperature band you cannot judge by eye.

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